Prison Half Blood
by pegasusdmac
Summary: What if demigods were considered menaces rather than heroes? Percy is taken to Prison Half-Blood when he is 12 years old, and there he must face the steep consequences for being a child of a god. Dark AU. Round 8 Phoenix Award Winner.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay readers, I was watching The Shawshank Redemption the other day and became inspired. Enjoy!**

_(Annabeth narration) _(Live action)

1. Welcome to Prison Half-Blood

_There's a kid like me in every juvenile delinquent institution in America. I'm the person who can hook you up: a stick of deodorant, a pack of smokes, damn near anything within reason. Yep, I'm like the home shopping network. So, when Percy Jackson came to me five years ago and asked me to smuggle blue food coloring into the prison I told him no problem. Percy Jackson came to Prison Half-Blood for being a son of Poseidon; he was twelve years old, my age at the time. How he made it that long on the outside without being discovered, I don't know. _

Annabeth leaned against a brick wall in the prison yard with about eight other demigods around her. They were all in their teens, and all wore orange prison jumpsuits. They watched as a white van pulled down the dirt road that lead from the outer gates into the compound. The van stopped, and the side door opened. A satyr wearing a prison guard uniform stepped out of the van followed by four kids with their hands and feet cuffed and chained. There were two girls and two guys, and they all four looked terrified and devastated. The kids stood in a single file line as the van was driven away by a hideous creature with eyes all over its body. The new kids followed the satyr down the dirt road which had a fence on either side separating it from the prison yard. The fence was lined with jeering and heckling inmates. Annabeth and her group stood back and watched as the new arrivals made the walk of shame.

"We taking bets today, AB?" a buff blonde guy asked Annabeth.

"What are you betting?" Annabeth asked him as she pulled a small notepad and pencil from her pocket.

"Drachma," he said. "Put me down for two."

"Okay, who's your horse?" Annabeth asked him.

"That wormy little bastard, very last one," he pointed.

"Oh, bullshit, I'll take that action," said a girl with spiky, black hair standing to Annabeth's left. "You're out some drachma, brother."

"Oh yeah, Thalia, if you're so smart, you call it," the blonde guy said to her.

"I'll take the ugly chick, first one," Thalia pointed. "Put me down for half a dozen."

Annabeth scribbled on her notepad then looked carefully at the guy who was third in line.

_I admit I didn't think much of Percy the first time I saw him. He looked like he was about to cry. He was wearing nice jeans and a button down shirt. He might've been the most popular guy at his school, but here, prep would only get you a beating._

"What do you say, AB?" the blonde guy asked her.

"Preppy there with the silver spoon up his ass," she nodded toward the third guy in line.

"That guy?" a sharp featured guy standing to Annabeth's left said. "Not gonna happen."

"Ten drachma," she said confidently.

"That's a steep bet," a guy to her right with a scar on his cheek said.

"Who's going to prove me wrong?" she grinned.

Thalia nodded to take the bet.

"Thalia," Annabeth said as she scribbled on her notepad.

The blonde guy and the guy with the scar both raised their hands up to take the bet.

"Jason, Luke," she continued.

The kid with sharp features cleared his throat, and Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded.

"Travis," she scribbled on the paper. "You guys are going down."

The four new arrivals were marched into a briefing room inside the prison and lined up side by side. The satyr stood guard as a tall man with curly brown hair and a thick beard walked up to the new arrivals. The tall man wasn't just a man, though. He was half horse and half man; the lower half of his body was that of a white stallion. The new arrivals were terrified at the sight. Obviously, none of them had ever seen a centaur before.

"This is Mr. Grover, captain of the guards," the centaur said pointing to the satyr. "I'm Mr. Chiron, the warden, and you are demigods, menaces to society. That's why you have been sent here. Rule number one: no fighting. Rule number two: no cursing. Rule number three: no sex. This is a coed facility, but I will not have babies being born in this institution, understand? The other rules you'll figure out as you go along. Also, beware your powers will not work inside this prison. There is a mystical barrier surrounding the entire facility to prevent it. Any questions?"

"How long do we have to stay here?" the last guy in line asked.

The satyr guard, Grover, walked up to the kid and backhanded him across the face nearly knocking him to the floor.

"You leave when you die, got it you sorry sack of shit!" Grover yelled at him.

The other three stood in shock, but didn't say a word.

"I believe in two things: discipline and the gods," warden Chiron said to them. "Put your faith in your parents…your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Prison Half-Blood."

Each of the four new prisoners was given an orange jumpsuit and bed linens then they were escorted into the cell block where all of the prisoners were in for the night. They were each put in a cell and then lights out was called.

_The first night is the hardest by far. I remember my first night. It seems like a long time ago. I was seven years old when I was brought to Prison Half-Blood and I was absolutely terrified. When they put you in that little cell all alone and those bars slam shut, that's when you know it's not just a horrifying nightmare; it's real. Your whole life is stolen away in the blink of an eye and all you have left is all the time in the world to think about it. Most new fish go damn near crazy the first night. Some loser always breaks down crying for their mommy. The only question is: who's it going to be? It's as good a thing to bet on as any I suppose. The gang always goes fishing for first timers, and they don't quit until they reel somebody in. I had my money on Percy Jackson. _

Thalia stood at her cell door leaning her arms against the bars. The entire cell block had come alive with chatter. The inmates had begun to heckle the new fish.

Thalia pulled a cigarette from her mouth and whispered, "Pst…yo, new girl."

The girl she had picked to break down was put in a cell only a few down from her.

"Hey," Thalia continued. "I know you can hear me. Now don't you listen to these jerks. This place isn't so bad."

The other inmates continued the taunting and teasing.

"Tell you what," Thalia said to her. "I'll introduce you around; make you feel right at home. I know a coupe of children of Ares who would just _love_ to make your acquaintance, especially that ugly face of yours."

The new girl Thalia was taunting began to sob loudly, "I don't belong here."

"And we have a winner!" Jason yelled from his cell, and it echoed throughout the cell block.

"And it's the ugly bitch by a nose," Thalia laughed.

All of the inmates began clapping and chanting, "Fresh fish! Fresh fish!"

The girl was still crying, "I'm not supposed to be here. I want my mommy."

"I had your mother. She wasn't that great," a voice echoed over the chanting.

A door in the cell block slammed open, and the captain of the guards, Grover, walked into the cell block.

"What the hell is this happy horse shit?" Grover yelled, and the cell block quieted down.

"You just cursed. I'm telling the warden," an inmate said as Grover walked past his cell.

"You'll be telling him with my hoof up your ass," Grover said.

"You've got to let me out of here," the new girl cried as Grover walked over to her cell.

"What's the problem you two dollar hooker?" Grover asked her.

"Please," she begged. "I don't belong here, not me."

"I'm not going to count to three; I'm not even going to count to one. You will dry it up and shut your face or I will shut it for you!" Grover yelled at her.

She sniffled a few times, but didn't say another word.

"That's what I thought," Grover said.

Grover turned to the rest of the cell block and yelled, "If I hear so much as another peep in here for the rest of the night, I swear on the River Styx you will all visit the infirmary, every last piece of shit in here!"

Grover turned and walked out of the now silent cell block slamming the door behind him.

_His first night in the joint, Percy Jackson cost me forty drachma. He never made a sound. _

**AN: This fic is a Shawshank Redemption/PJO mash-up/adaptation. It's based heavily on the film The Shawshank Redemption. I basically wrote it to combat writer's block.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or The Shawshank Redemption.**

**-dmac**


	2. Chapter 2

2. A Real Cold Fish

The next morning Percy stood in line in the cafeteria as his food tray was being filled with slop that didn't even look edible. He picked up his tray and walked through the cafeteria to find a place to sit and eat. He could feel the eyes of the other inmates following him as he walked, and he received some hateful yet seductive looks from a table of girls as he walked past. Percy finally found a seat, and he laid his tray on the table. He sat down and began picking at his food, not sure if he wanted to put any of that mess in his mouth.

At the table beside the one Percy was sitting at, Annabeth and her crew were beginning to eat their breakfast.

"Oh, no, here she comes," Travis grumbled as Thalia made her way over to the table.

She sat her tray on the table across from Annabeth then sat down.

Thalia had a shit-eating grin on her face as she said, "Good morning, guys. It sure is a fine morning, and do you know why? Come on, set 'em down. I want 'em all lined up."

Annabeth and Travis grudgingly handed Thalia the drachma they owed her from the bet, and she began counting them out.

"Yeah, look at that," she gloated.

Jason handed her the drachma he owed her and said, "Smell my ass."

Thalia just laughed as she received the drachma Luke owed her, too.

"You know, AB," Thalia smiled. "It's a damn shame about your horse coming in last, but I sure do love that winning horse of mine. I do believe I owe that girl a great big sloppy kiss when I see her."

"Why don't you give her some of your drachma instead," Annabeth suggested.

After breakfast, Percy put up his tray and began walking down a long hallway toward the laundry where he was assigned to work. About halfway down the hallway, he noticed three girls leaning against the wall. Two of the girls were skinny little things, but the one standing in between them was a bigger girl.

As Percy walked past the girls, the big girl asked him, "Anybody get to you yet?"

Percy stopped and gave her a confused look.

"We all need friends in here," she said. "I could be a friend to you."

Percy's eyes widened then he walked away from the girls in horror.

"Hard to get," the big girl said to the other girls. "I like that."

_Percy kept pretty much to himself at first. I guess he had a lot on his mind trying to adapt to a life on the inside. It wasn't until a month went by that he finally opened his mouth to say more than two words to somebody, and as it turns out, that somebody was me._

Annabeth and Thalia were playing chess on a bench in the prison yard when Percy walked up to Annabeth.

"I'm Percy Jackson," he introduced himself.

"Son of Poseidon," Annabeth said without looking up from the chessboard.

"I'm not sure of that. I've never even met my father," Percy said.

"Oh, you're going to fit right in," Annabeth laughed. "Nobody in here has ever met their godly parent. Thalia, who's your dad?"

"Hell if I know, never met him," Thalia answered as she moved a piece on the chessboard.

"Rumor has it you're a real cold fish, thinks your shit smells sweeter than most, is that right?" Annabeth asked him.

"What do you think?" Percy asked her.

"Tell you the truth, I haven't made up my mind," she said.

"I understand you're a person who knows how to get things," Percy said changing the subject.

Annabeth moved a piece on the chessboard and said, "Checkmate."

"Agh," Thalia grumbled as she put two drachmas down on the board then got up and walked away.

Annabeth just grinned then turned to Percy, "I've been known to locate certain items from time to time."

"I wonder if you might get me a prism," he said.

"A prism, huh? You plan on sending an Iris message to someone?"

"What do you care?" Percy asked.

"Well, if it was a toothbrush I wouldn't ask questions, I'd just quote a price, but a toothbrush isn't contraband now is it?"

Percy nodded, "Fair enough. Yes, I need to contact my mom and tell her I'm okay. From what I understand, an Iris message is the only way to contact the outside."

"You understand right," Annabeth said. "But how do I know you won't sharpen it and sink it into somebody's skull?"

Percy shook his head, "No, I have no enemies here."

"No? Wait a while. Word gets around; the Hunters have taken quite a liking to you. Especially Clarisse," Annabeth said nodding toward a gang of girls, mostly daughters of Ares and Hermes, that always hung around together.

Percy grimaced, "I don't suppose it would help any if I told them I wasn't interested or that they're not my type?"

"The Hunters take by force. That's all they want or understand, and if you don't give them what they want, they will beat the hell out of you," Annabeth warned. "If I were you, I'd grow eyes in the back of my head."

"Thanks for the advice."

"That's free, but you do understand my concern?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, if there's any trouble, I won't use the prism," Percy assured her.

"My normal markup is twenty percent, but this is a specialty item. The risk goes up, the price goes up," Annabeth said. "Let's make it an even five bucks."

Percy nodded, "Five it is."

"Waste of money if you ask me."

"Why is that?" Percy asked.

"Satyrs around this joint love surprise inspections. They find it; you're going to lose it. If they do catch you with it, you don't know me. You mention my name and we'd never do business again, not for shoelaces or a stick of gum, you got that?"

"I understand," Percy nodded. "Thank you, um…"

"AB, they call me AB."

"AB, what does that stand for?" Percy asked her.

"Annabeth."

Percy smiled, "Thank you, Annabeth."

Annabeth grinned and watched Percy walk away.

_I could see why some of the guys took him for snobby, especially being a child of one of the Big Three, but he really wasn't a jerk. He didn't have the arrogance of say Jason or Thalia, who were also children of one of the Big Three. He had a quiet confidence about him that just wasn't normal around here. Yeah…I think it would be fair to say I liked Percy from the start._


	3. Chapter 3

3. No Fairytale World

A tall, muscular guy with dark skin and hair was standing at a table in the laundry unpacking a box of new pillowcases that had just been delivered to the prison. As he was unpacking, he cut his eyes around to ensure none of the satyrs were looking as he pulled a folded paper sack from the box of pillowcases and stuffed it inside his orange jumpsuit.

Later, when Annabeth was standing in line to pick up her fresh bed linens, the same guy got her attention.

"Hey, AB," he motioned her over to the table where he was passing out linens.

He picked up a folded stack of bed sheets and blankets from the bottom rack of a shelf behind him and laid it on the table for Annabeth. She laid a pack of cigarettes on the table for him. She picked up her linens, and he picked up the pack of cigarettes.

"Thanks, Beckendorf," she said, and he nodded to her.

Annabeth walked casually to her cell and laid the linens on her bed. She looked around to make sure no one was watching as she pulled out a small, brown paper sack that was wedged between the folded sheets. Inside the sack was a beautiful crystal prism.

Later that evening, when everyone was locked in their cells for the night, Luke, who was the prison librarian, pushed a cart of books through the cell block. He passed by each cell asking the inmates if they would like a book off his cart.

When he got to Annabeth's cell, she whispered to him, "Hey, Luke. Delivery for Jackson."

She reached between the cell bars and grabbed a book form the cart while putting the paper sack in the slot where the book was then she slipped a condom into Luke's jumpsuit pocket as payment for the delivery. Luke continued through the cell block, and when he reached Percy's cell, he stopped.

"Jackson," he said handing Percy a book and the paper sack through the bars. "Here's your book."

"Thanks," Percy said, and Luke continued on with his cart of books.

The next morning, Percy was in the laundry pulling sheets from one of the many driers when one of the inmates came up to him.

"Jackson, we're running low on detergent. Go on back and fetch us up some," he told Percy.

Percy walked into a supply room to grab a barrel of detergent and noticed he wasn't alone in the room. Clarisse and three other Hunters walked out of the shadows and surrounded him. Percy knocked the lid of a barrel of detergent and grabbed a fistful.

"You get this in your eyes it blinds you," Percy said trying to act like he knew want he was talking about.

Clarisse just grinned and said, "Honey, hush."

A Hunter grabbed him from behind pulling his arms back. Another Hunter ran toward him, and he kicked her in the gut knocking her to the ground. He struggled with the Hunter who had him from behind. They knocked over lockers and barrels of detergent as they struggled. The Hunter swung him around into the fist of another, and Percy gasped as he took a hit to the gut. Now, two Hunters had him from behind, and he continued to struggle. He was able to free one arm and elbow one of the Hunters in the face. The other girl threw him to the floor as Clarisse began walking toward them. Percy kicked at the Hunter's legs and tried to get up, but it was no use. They had him on the ground and outnumbered. They began kicking him furiously as he lay helpless on the floor, and they didn't stop until he was unconscious.

_I wish I could tell you that Percy fought the good fight, and the Hunters let him be. I wish I could tell you that, but prison is no fairytale world. He never said who did it, but we all knew. Things went on like that for a while. Prison life consists of routine and then more routine. Every so often, Percy would show up with fresh bruises, and the Hunters kept at him. Sometimes he was able to fight them off, sometimes not. And that's how it went for Percy; that was his routine. I do believe those first seven months were the worst for him. And I also believe if things had gone on that way, this place would've gotten the best of him, but on one cold January day that all changed._

Percy was walking down the hallway toward the cafeteria. The hallway was empty except for himself and the captain of the guards, Grover. Grover was standing at the water fountain about to take a drink. He pressed the button, but nothing happened, no water came out of the fountain. He pressed the button a few more times and still nothing.

"Shitty plumbing around here," Grover grumbled.

Grover slammed his hand down on the button, and the fountain erupted with a spray of water that doused Grover.

"Son of a bitch!" Grover gurgled as water sprayed into his face.

The water didn't stop either. It continued to spray all over Grover and threatened to flood the hallway. Percy sprinted down the hallway toward the fountain and did a baseball slide on the floor under the fountain. He quickly pulled the cover off the fountain and twisted and pulled on some of the pipes. Instantly, the spray of water ceased.

_Percy couldn't use his powers to stop the water, but he could use his experience. Percy had lived in a rat-hole apartment with his mother, and apparently he learned to be a pretty decent maintenance man._

Grover stared at Percy. They were both soaking wet and freezing.

Percy got up off the floor and said, "Mr. Grover, the pipes have frozen from the cold."

"You think I need you to tell me that, wise ass?" Grover snapped.

"They really need to be insulated to prevent it from happening again," Percy said.

Grover pulled his baton from his side, put it to Percy's throat, and pushed him against the wall.

"You're that son of Poseidon. You think you can fix this shit, water boy?" Grover snapped again.

"Possibly, sir," Percy gagged as Grover's baton was pressing against his throat.

Grover turned and noticed they had an audience staring out the cafeteria doors.

"What are you jimmies staring at!" Grover yelled to them, and everyone ducked back inside the cafeteria.

Grover released Percy and said, "Go get a mop and clean this mess up then go change into some dry clothes."

_Percy could've stood idly by and watched Grover continue to get doused and watch the hallway flood, but he didn't. You might argue Percy did it to carry favor with the guards, but me, I think he did it just to feel normal again…if only for a short while. _

Percy and Annabeth were in the prison library sitting at a table playing checkers.

Percy moved a piece on the board and said, "King me."

"Chess, now there's a game of kings," Annabeth smiled.

"What?"

"Civilized, strategic…" Annabeth continued.

"And a total freaking mystery, I hate it," Percy said.

"Maybe you'll let me teach you someday."

Percy laughed, "Sure."

They continued the game then Annabeth asked, "Percy, we're getting to be kind of friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I guess," Percy said.

"Can I ask you a question? How'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Make it so long on the outside without being found?"

"To be honest with you, Annabeth, I have no idea," Percy told her. "How old were you when they found you?"

"Seven, I was seven," Annabeth sighed. "This place…five years here changes a person. Don't let it change who you are, Percy."


	4. Chapter 4

4. Exceptions Can Be Made

Annabeth was sitting in the movie room in the rec facility watching a movie with about twenty other inmates. Percy walked into the room and walked down a row of chairs. He took a seat behind Annabeth and leaned his arms on the back of her chair.

"Annabeth."

"Wait, wait, wait…this is the part I really like. This is when he blows up the shark," Annabeth said concentrating on the movie.

Percy looked up and saw the movie Jaws was playing in the projector screen.

"Oh, yeah, I saw this movie last week," Percy smiled.

They watched the scene of the movie: _smile you son of a bitch..._the shark exploded, and the crowd of inmates erupted with cheers.

"Ha!" Annabeth laughed. "I love it."

Percy, still leaning against Annabeth's seat, said to her, "I understand you're a person who knows how to get things."

Annabeth leaned back in her seat and said, "Yeah, I'm known to locate certain things from time to time. What do you want?"

"Blue food coloring."

Annabeth turned her head toward Percy and with a confused look asked, "What?"

"Can you get it?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked back at the movie and said, "May take a couple weeks."

"Weeks?" Percy complained.

"Well, yeah, Percy. I don't have a supermarket in my jumpsuit pocket I'm sorry to say, but I'll get it…relax," Annabeth grinned.

"Thanks," Percy said then got up out of his seat and walked out of the movie room.

Percy had just stepped out into the hallway when four Hunters jumped him and pulled him into a janitor's closet. Percy stood with his back against the wall, and the four Hunters stood in front of him.

Percy looked at Clarisse with hateful eyes and she asked, "Aren't you gonna scream?"

"Let's just get this over with," Percy grumbled then he turned and grabbed a mop and swung the handle hitting Clarisse across the face.

He swung the mop again catching another Hunter in the face, and she hit the floor. The other two Hunters grabbed Percy from behind and pinned his arms back. Clarisse walked up to Percy and punched him in the gut twice then gave him a right cross to his nose causing him to drop to his knees.

"I'm not doing it anymore," Percy said sternly as blood dripped from his nose.

"You think you have a choice?" Clarisse asked as she stood over him.

"I do have a choice, you ignorant bitch!" Percy shouted.

"Honey," Clarisse shook her head. "You shouldn't."

She began kicking and punching Percy in a vicious rage as the Hunters held Percy up for her to continue her attack.

_Clarisse didn't get what she wanted from Percy that day and neither did the other Hunters. What they did do was beat Percy within an inch of his life. Percy spent a month in the infirmary; Clarisse spent a week in the hole. _

Clarisse sat on the floor of the small solid steel solitary cell that the inmates called the hole. The door slid open, and she squinted her eyes as the light from outside seemed to almost blind her.

A satyr stood at the doorway and said, "Time's up, Clarisse."

Clarisse casually looked up at the guard and said, "It's about damn time."

She stood up and walked out of the solitary cell. She walked through the empty cell block, up the stairs, and into her cell on the second level. She flipped on the light in her cell and found Grover and another guard waiting on her.

Clarisse looked nervously at Grover and asked, "What?"

Grover didn't say a word or even make an expression. He just pulled his baton from his side and slammed it into her gut. She gasped as the hit took her breath away then fell to her knees. The other guard grabbed her and held her up so Grover could continue to pound on her…which he did, relentlessly.

_Two things never happened after that: the Hunters never laid a finger on Percy again and Clarisse never left the infirmary._

Annabeth and the gang sat on some bleachers in the prison yard.

Annabeth looked around to everyone and said, "I'm thinking Percy could use a nice welcome back when he gets out of the infirmary."

Everyone nodded and Connor, Travis' twin brother, said, "Sounds good to us. I figure we owe him that much for getting the Hunters in hot water."

"The guy likes the color blue. Let's paint his cell," Annabeth suggested.

Everyone gave Annabeth an agreeing looks and nods.

_Despite a few hitches, the guys came through in fine style. By the week Percy was due back, everything in his cell was blue: the walls, the bed linens, even the toilet water. Also got a big shipment in that week: cigarettes, chewing gum, sippin whiskey, condoms, you name it, and the most important item…blue food coloring._

Percy walked into his cell for the first time in a month, and he was surprised to see that everything was blue. Percy noticed a small cardboard box sitting on his bed. He picked it up and opened it. Inside was a two-ounce bottle of blue food coloring. Percy smiled then he noticed a note sitting on his bed where the box was. The note was in Annabeth's handwriting and read: _No Charge, Welcome Back._

A few days later, Jason was mopping the floor in the cell block when the door slammed open, and Chiron walked in followed by a group of satyrs.

"Heads up, they're tossing the cells," Jason tried to warn everyone who was in the cell block. "Heads up, they're tossing the cells."

Chiron walked through the cell block pointing out random cells he wanted the guards to inspect. When Chiron got to Percy's cell, he stopped and stood outside it as Grover walked in.

Percy was sitting on his bed and Grover ordered, "On your feet and face the wall."

Percy did as he was told and Grover began to ransack his cell looking for contraband. Once Grover had completely trashed Percy's cell, Chiron stepped over into the cell doorway.

"Turn around and face the warden," Grover ordered.

Percy turned to the warden, and Chiron studied him for a moment.

"I hear you're quite the handyman," Chiron said finally. "How nice, a man should have a skill."

Percy didn't say a word; he just stared at Chiron as Grover continued rifling through his things.

Grover looked at Chiron and said, "It's pretty clean. There's some contraband here, but nothing to get in a twist over."

Chiron looked around Percy's cell and noticed everything was blue.

Chiron pointed to the blue walls and said, "Can't say I approve of this, but I suppose…exceptions can be made."

Chiron and Grover walked out of Percy's cell, and Grover yelled, "Lock 'em up!"

The doors to every cell in the block slammed shut.

_Tossing cells was just an excuse. Truth is, Chiron wanted to size Percy up._


	5. Chapter 5

5. This Place Is Funny

Grover escorted Percy from the laundry where he was working to a large office on the first floor of the prison complex. Grover opened the door to the office, and Percy walked inside. Grover followed him in and closed the door behind them. Chiron was standing behind a very tall desk across the room scribbling on some papers. Chiron finally looked up from his desk and stared at Percy for a moment.

"Do you enjoy working in the laundry?" Chiron asked Percy.

"No, sir, not especially," Percy answered.

"Perhaps we can find something more suitable for you then," Chiron said.

Percy walked into the basement of the prison and down a series of hallways lined with pipes. Percy continued walking until he came to an open room filled with tool boxes, shelves, and workbenches.

"Leo," Percy called. "Leo, you down here?"

"Percy," Leo said as he appeared out from behind a dryer he was working on. "I thought I heard you down here."

"I've been reassigned to you," Percy said.

"I know. They told me," Leo smiled. "Ain't that a kick in the head? Well, I'll give you the dime tour."

Percy followed Leo around the room.

Leo raised his hands and said, "Here she is, the Prison Half-Blood maintenance shop. We've got plumbing and electrical supplies, tools, workbenches, safety gear…every morning I grab my checklist and make my rounds. If something needs fixing, then I fix it. Nothin' to it. Any questions?"

"Leo, how long have you been in maintenance?" Percy asked.

"Oh…I was brought here four years ago, and they put me down here just a few months after that."

"And in all that time, have you ever had an assistant?"

Leo shook his head, "No, no, not much need really."

"Then why me, why now?"

"I don't know, but it'll be nice to have some company down here for a change," Leo smiled, and Percy returned the smile.

"Jackson!" yelled a satyr guard who walked into the maintenance shop.

Percy nervously turned and faced the satyr.

"The faucet in my quarters won't stop dripping, and its driving me bat-shit crazy," the satyr grumbled.

Percy didn't say a word; he just waited on the guard to continue.

"Well, can you fix it?"

"Oh," Percy said finally realizing what the satyr wanted from him. "Um, sure…I'll take a look at it."

Percy grabbed a pipe wrench off the table and gave Leo a _wish me luck _look, then he followed the satyr to his quarters.

Percy was easily able to fix the leaking faucet, then the guard walked Percy back down to the maintenance shop. Leo heard them chatting and looked up to see Percy and the guard shaking hands.

"Thanks, Jackson," the satyr said.

"No problem. If it starts leaking again, just let me know and I'll put some new seals in it for you."

The guard nodded then left the shop.

At lunch, the whole gang was sitting at a table together listening to Leo tell them about the guard that came to the shop that morning.

"I heard them talking, and when I looked up the damn satyr was shaking Percy's hand," Leo grinned.

"My ass," Jason shook his head in disbelief.

"Shook his hand…I damn near soiled myself. If Percy would've had on jeans that sagged halfway down his ass showing his crack like a licensed plumber, it would've been Mr. Jackson," Leo laughed as he nudged Percy who was sitting right next to him.

Annabeth looked across the table at Percy and said, "Making some new friends, huh, Percy?"

"I wouldn't say friends. I'm a demigod who can fix a leaky pipe. It's a convenient skill to have." Percy said.

"Got you out of the laundry though, didn't it?" Annabeth smiled.

"It might do more than that," Percy said as he chewed his food. "I thought about getting some new water heaters around here so we could finally have hot showers."

"And how do you expect to do that…get new water heaters in here, Mr. Jackson, if you please?" Thalia asked sarcastically.

"Ask the warden for funds," Percy said.

The table erupted with laughter.

"No way, Percy," Leo laughed. "Chiron's ass hole puckers up tighter than a snare drum when you ask him for funds."

Percy walked down a hallway with Chiron discussing the need for new water heaters and requested funds to purchase them.

"The budget's stretched thin as it is," Chiron said.

"I see. Well, maybe I could write Olympus and request funds directly from the gods," Percy suggested.

"As far as the gods are concerned," Chiron started. "There's only three ways to spend money when it comes to this prison: more walls, more bars, and more guards."

"Still, I'd like to try with your permission. I'll write a letter a week. They can't ignore me forever."

"Sure they can," Chiron said. "But you write your letters. I'll even send them for you, how's that?"

_So, with a little help from me, Percy started writing a letter a week, just like he said, and just like Chiron said, Percy got no response. Over the next year or so, Percy did what he could to improve the plumbing in this shit-hole. He even managed to get us some warm water in the showers, which even though it wasn't hot water, I was still so grateful for. Yep, Percy was beginning to make this place a little more bearable for me._

Jason came running up to Percy and Annabeth in the prison yard.

Jason tried to catch his breath as he said, "AB, Percy, its Luke."

They all three ran into the prison library where Luke was standing behind Thalia with his arm around her neck pinning her to his chest and had a knife to her throat with his other hand.

Connor was standing a few feet from Luke and Thalia trying to talk some sense into Luke, "Come on, Luke, calm your ass down."

Percy, Annabeth, and Jason came running up to Connor, and when Luke saw them he yelled, "Stay back! Stay back, damnit!"

Annabeth turned to Connor and asked, "What the hell is going on?"

"You tell me," Connor said. "One second he's fine, then out come the knife."

"Luke, Luke, we can talk about this right?" Annabeth asked calmly.

"There's nothin' to talk about, damnit! It's all talked out!" Luke yelled. "I'm gonna kill her, I'm gonna kill her."

"Wait, Thalia? Why? What has she done to you?" Annabeth asked quickly.

"The bitch has been cheating on me with that asshole," Luke said nodding toward Connor.

"That's bullshit!" Connor yelled in defense.

Percy took a step forward, "Luke, you're not gonna hurt Thalia. We all know that, even Thalia knows that, right Thalia?"

Thalia gagged, "I-I know that, sure."

"You know why you're not gonna hurt her?" Percy asked. "Because you love her, and because Luke Castellan is a reasonable man."

"That's right, that's right," Annabeth agreed. "Isn't that right guys?"

"Yes," they all nodded.

"So put the knife down," Percy said firmly. "Luke, look at me, put the knife down. Luke…Luke, look at her neck for gods sakes. Look at her neck, she's bleeding."

"Its…it's the only way to keep her away from him," Luke said sadly as tears welled in his eyes.

"Come on," Percy said softly as he approached Luke and Thalia. "This is crazy. You don't want to do this."

Luke dropped the knife, released Thalia, and began to sob. Thalia ran across the room grabbing her brother's arm and gasping for breath.

Percy put his hands on Luke's shoulders as he sobbed.

"Take it easy. It'll be alright," Percy assured him.

"Him? Hell, what about me?" Thalia grumbled. "Crazy son of a bitch damn near cut my throat."

"Ah, shit Thalia, it's just a scratch," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "What the hell did you do to set him off anyway?"

"I didn't do nothin'," Thalia insisted. "I came down here to get a piece of ass, and when Connor walked in, he went ape-shit crazy."

Once everything had settled down in the library, the gang gathered on a set of bleachers in the prison yard.

"I just don't understand what happened in there," Percy sighed.

"Guy's crazier than a rat in a tin shithouse is what," Thalia grumbled.

"Oh, Thalia, that's enough out of you," Annabeth scolded.

"Heard he had you shittin' your pants," Travis laughed at Thalia.

Thalia narrowed her eyes, "Screw you."

"Isn't that what almost got your throat cut in the first place," Travis continued to taunt.

"Would you two knock it off?" Annabeth snapped. "Luke isn't nuts; he's just…heartbroken."

Thalia shook her head, "Heartbroken my ass."

"Thalia, how long have you and Luke been um…together?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know, about five years," Thalia said.

"Five years, he's loved her for five years, then she goes and cheats on him…"

"I did not!" Thalia interrupted.

Annabeth glared at Thalia, "He thinks you did. Thalia, you're all he's got in here. You're what gets him through the day. You're his sanity in here. You know what I'm trying to say?"

"AB, I do believe you're talking out of your ass," Jason said.

Annabeth turned to Jason and said, "You believe whatever you want, Jason, but Luke's been here for fifteen years…fifteen years. That's long enough to make anyone desperate. I think Thalia's what's kept him from snapping a long time ago."

"You think this place is what's driving him mad?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"I'm telling you, guys, this place is funny. First you hate it, then you get used to it…enough time passes, you either accept it or you snap like Luke did," Annabeth said.

"Shit, I could never get like that," Travis said.

Leo turned to Travis, "Oh yeah, say that when you've been here as long as Luke has."

"Damn right," Annabeth nodded. "They bring you here for life, and that's exactly what they take…the part that counts anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

6. So You Won't Forget

The gang sat on their usual set of bleacher in the prison yard just after breakfast. Everyone was quiet and they all had solemn looks on their faces. Annabeth and Thalia sat shoulder-to-shoulder, and they both had tears in their eyes. Annabeth was holding a folded piece of paper in her hand staring at it through her tears. She almost unfolded the paper, then she hesitated.

Percy, who was sitting below Annabeth, looked up at her, "I'll read it if you can't."

Annabeth nodded, and Percy gently took the paper from her hand. Percy unfolded the paper revealing a note written in Luke's handwriting.

Percy cleared his throat then began reading the note to them:

"Hey Guys, I sometimes can't believe I've been in this place as long as I have. The years have seemed to just run together. I guess that's what happens when time really doesn't matter anymore. You know, it's been so long that I can't even remember what my mother looks like or remember the sound of her voice. I don't remember the smell of fresh cut grass or the songs of birds in the spring. The sound and smell of the ocean even escapes me. The only thing I know now is walls, bars, and darkness. I had a bit of light there for a while…some hope, some relief, and I will always love her for giving me that. Lately, though, even that hasn't been enough. I've been having trouble sleeping at night. I have bad dreams like I'm falling, and I wake up scared. Sometimes it takes me a second to realize it was just a dream. I used to wish something would happen to this place so they would send me home, but I know now that will never happen. I guess I'm just too old for that kind of thinking anymore. I don't like it here. I'm tired of being afraid all the time so I've decided…not to stay. I doubt they'll kick up any fuss though, not for a punk son of Hermes like me. P.S. Tell Thalia I'm sorry I put a knife to her throat. No hard feelings, Luke."

Percy handed the suicide note back to Annabeth.

She took the note and wiped the tears from her face, "He shouldn't have died like that."

Grover walked Percy down to the maintenance shop where several large boxes were cluttered around.

"It's a damn mess down here," Grover grumbled.

Leo was standing by the boxes, and had a little grin on his face.

"What's all this?" Percy asked Grover.

"You tell me, dip-shit. They're all addressed to you," Grover said.

Leo handed Percy a letter that came with the boxes.

Percy opened the letter and read aloud:

"Dear Percy Jackson, In response to you're repeated inquiries, Olympus has sent ten new water heaters to be installed in the prison. We trust this will fulfill your needs. We now consider the matter closed. Please stop sending us letters."

Percy looked up from the letter and said, "It only took two years."

"You're lucky they responded at all. Now, you two get this shit cleaned up in here," Grover said then left the maintenance shop.

Percy and Leo began opening the boxes, which contained brand new, high efficiency, one hundred gallon water heaters. Percy began opening the last box when something on top of the box fell to the floor. Percy picked the small square object up off the floor.

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"It's an iPod," Percy said with surprise.

Leo's eyes widened, "Really? Where the hell did it come from?"

Percy looked around to make sure he and Leo were alone, then he turned the device on. The wallpaper background was the image of a caduceus.

"Oh my gods," Leo grinned looking at the iPod. "Hermes must've forgotten it when he delivered the water heaters."

"Let's see if there's any good tunes on here," Percy said as he scrolled through the playlist.

"I haven't heard music in six years," Leo sighed.

"It's been three years for me."

"Too bad there's no earbuds," Leo said with disappointment in his voice.

A smile crept onto Percy's face, and Leo asked, "What?"

"Leo, where is the PA system controls?"

"In the secretary's office. Why?"

Percy put the iPod in the front pocket of his jumpsuit and smiled at Leo.

Leo shook his head, "They'll put you in the hole."

"It'll be worth it," Percy smiled then walked out of the maintenance shop.

Percy walked toward the secretary's office on the first floor. The hallway was empty and luckily so was the office. Percy walked into the office, closed the door behind him, and locked it. He sat down at the desk and connected the iPod to the PA system. He flipped a switch on the PA system and turned the volume up. The speakers throughout the prison echoed a short burst of feedback then Percy pressed the play button on the iPod. Music began to play over the PA system for the entire prison to hear, and inmate stopped what they were doing to listen.

_I still, to this day, can hear that song in my head. It took my breath away when that music drifted into my ears. It was so beautiful…it can't be expressed in words, and it made my heart ache because of it. I tell you, that voice soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird dropped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away. And, for the briefest of moments, every last inmate in Prison Half-Blood felt free…but it pissed the warden off somethin' awful. _

Percy was kicked back in the chair behind the secretary's desk listening to the music when Chiron stormed down the hallway followed by Grover and a few other guards. Chiron twisted the doorknob to the office, but it was locked.

Chiron looked at Percy through the windowpane in the door and said, "Open the door."

Percy casually looked at the warden, but he didn't get up.

"Open it up!" Chiron began to yell and bang on the door. "Jackson, open this door! And turn that off!"

Percy reached over to the PA system controls, then he hesitated.

"I'm warning you, Jackson! Turn that off!" Chiron continued to yell through the door.

Percy just grinned and turned up the volume.

Chiron backed away from the door, and Grover walked up tapping his baton on the windowpane, "Jackson, you're mine now."

Grover busted the glass with his baton and opened the door from the inside. He walked over to the desk and turned off the music.

"On your feet," Grover said jerking Percy up out of the chair and escorting him out of the office.

_Percy got two weeks in the hole for that little stunt._

Percy walked over to the table where the gang was eating lunch. He had just gotten out of the hole, and he looked like shit. He laid his tray on the table across from Annabeth.

"Hey, look who's here," Leo smiled at Percy.

"Maestro," Travis laughed.

Percy sat down next to Thalia and she nudged him, "Couldn't play somethin' good, huh? Some metal or somethin'?"

"They broke the door down before I could take requests."

"Was it worth it, two weeks in the hole?" Leo asked.

"Easiest time I ever did," Percy grinned.

"Bullshit," Connor shook his head. "There's no such thing as easy time in the hole."

"A week in the hole is like a year," Travis nodded.

"Damn straight," Jason agreed.

"I had music to distract me," Percy said.

"They let you take that iPod down there?" Leo asked with surprise.

"It was in here, in here," Percy said pointing toward his head and his heart. "That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you."

Everyone gave him a funny look like he might've gone a little crazy in solitary confinement for two weeks.

"What?" Percy asked them. "Haven't you ever felt that way about music?"

"I took piano lessons when I was a little girl," Annabeth said. "Lost interest in it, though. Doesn't make much sense in here."

"Here's where it makes the most sense," Percy argued. "You need it so you won't forget."

"Forget?" Annabeth asked.

"Forget that there are places in the world that aren't made of stone. That there's a…there's something inside that they can't get to, that they can't touch, it's yours."

"What are you talking about?"

Percy stared into Annabeth's eyes, "Hope."

"Hope…" Annabeth repeated. "Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a person insane. It's got no use on the inside. You'd better get used to that idea."

"Like Luke did?" Percy asked her.

Annabeth glared at Percy then slammed her fork and napkin down onto her tray. She quickly stood up, picked her lunch tray up off the table, and walked away without a word.


	7. Chapter 7

7. File That Under Educational

Annabeth and Percy were leaning against a stone wall of the prison compound looking out into the prison yard.

Annabeth shook her head, "Eight years…Gods, when you say it like that…"

"You wonder where it went," Percy nodded. "I wonder where three years went."

Annabeth just nodded.

"Here," Percy said handing Annabeth a small wooden music box with silver trim and a hand-painted owl on the top. "A little eight year anniversary present. I had to go through one of your competitors to get it. I hope you don't mind. I wanted it to be a surprise. Go ahead and open it."

Annabeth opened the music box, and a beautiful song played.

Annabeth smiled and said, "It's very pretty, Percy. Thank you."

Percy walked into his cell at lights out a couple months later, and he noticed a rolled up poster and a note lying on his bed. He read the note which was in Annabeth's handwriting: _Something blue for your three year anniversary, Annabeth._

Percy unrolled the poster of waves crashing onto a beach. He hung the poster on the wall of his cell and stared at it for hours.

The following day, Annabeth was escorted into Chiron's office.

"Since Luke offed himself, we don't have a librarian. You will be reassigned to the library," Chiron told her.

"Yes, sir," Annabeth nodded.

Annabeth and Percy walked into the prison library which was really barely recognizable as a library. There were a few tables and chairs, a few bookshelves with books and magazines arranged in no particular order, and the dust on everything was about an inch deep.

"This place really needs an update," Annabeth said as she ran her finger across a dust covered bookshelf. "And a good cleaning."

"Well, let's write Olympus two letters a week instead of one. Maybe we can get funds to improve the library, too," Percy suggested.

Annabeth smiled, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

_So, Percy and I wrote Olympus two letters a week requesting funds to improve the library. It only took the gods a few months to finally clue into the fact that we wouldn't give up. The gods voted an annual payment of five hundred dollars toward the library project just to shut us up. And you'd be amazed how far we could stretch it. We made deals with book clubs, charity groups, and bought remaindered books by the pound._

Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Jason sat on the library floor sorting through boxes of books that had just been delivered to the prison.

Thalia held a book up and struggled to read the title and author, "Treasure Island, Robert Louis…"

"Stevenson," Annabeth finished. "Fiction, adventure….What's next?"

"I got here auto repair and soap carving," Percy said.

"Trade skills and hobbies, goes under educational, the stack behind you," Annabeth said to Percy.

"Count Monte Crisco," Thalia read.

Jason shook his head, "It's Cristo, you dumb shit."

Thalia continued, "By Alexandre Dumas…_Dumb ass_?"

Percy cracked up laughing at Thalia.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "Dumb ass?"

Thalia laughed and showed Annabeth the book.

"Its pronounced _do-maw_," Annabeth said. "You know what that book's about?"

"Huh uh," Thalia shook her head.

"You'll like it," Annabeth smiled. "It's about a prison break."

"We ought to file that under educational, too, oughtn't we?" Percy smiled.

_Everyone did their best to pitch in when and where they could. In only a few short months, we had transformed a storage room smelling of rat shit and turpentine into the best prison library anyone could ask for. That was also the year warden Chiron instituted his Community Work Program. He put us inmates to work doing jobs for businesses in the surrounding areas…anything from stuffing envelopes to assembling car parts. According to Chiron, it was of bare minimum of expense to Olympus, but bare minimum of expense is a fairly loose term. There's a hundred different ways to skim off the top: labor, materials, you name it. With the pool of slave labor he had with us inmates, he could underbid any contractor in the area…and oh my lords, how the money rolled in. And behind every shady deal, behind every dollar earned, there I was keeping the books._

Percy and Annabeth were alone in the library putting books onto shelves.

"Chiron's running scams you could never even dream of," Annabeth said to Percy. "Kickbacks and more kickbacks, there's a river of dirty money running through this place."

"And the problem with having all that money, is sooner or later you're gonna have to explain to Olympus where it came from," Percy reasoned.

"And that's where I come in," Annabeth smiled. "I channel it, funnel it, filter it. I send that money out into the real world and when it comes back…"

"It's as clean as a brand new car," Percy smiled.

"Cleaner…by the time Chiron retires, I'll have made him a millionaire."

"If the gods ever catch on though, he's gonna wind up in here wearing a number himself."

"Now Percy, I thought you had a little more faith in me than that," Annabeth teased.

"I know you're good, Annabeth, but all that paper leaves a trail. If the gods get curious, its gonna lead to somebody."

"Sure it is, but not to me and certainly not to the warden."

"Who then?" Percy asked.

"A silent partner…_he's the guilty one Lord Zeus_," Annabeth giggled. "He actually doesn't exist, except on paper."

"Annabeth, you can't just make a person up."

"Sure you can, if you know how the system works and where the cracks are. If the gods start digging around, they're just gonna be looking for a figment of my imagination," Annabeth smiled.

"Well, I'll be damned," Percy smiled. "Did I say you were good? Shit, you're a Rembrandt."

"You know, the funny thing is, when I was on the outside I was a good girl, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook."

"Ha!" Percy laughed.

Percy and Annabeth finished up in the library then took a checkers board out into the prison yard to play a game.

Percy and Annabeth were sitting on a bench playing checkers when Percy asked, "Does it ever bother you?"

"I don't run the scams, Percy. I just process the profits," Annabeth said as she moved a piece on the board. "Fine line maybe, but it helps us make this place a little better, like that library. Why do you think the warden lets us do all the improvements we do?"

"To keep you happy in doing the laundry…money instead of sheets," Percy smiled at her.

"Well, I work cheap. That's the trade-off."

A horn sounded across the prison complex, and Percy and Annabeth turned to see a van of new inmates pull down the dirt road into the prison.

_Nico di Angelo came to Prison Half-Blood for being a son of one of the Big Three, Hades to be exact. He had a half-blood sister, but she was killed in the satyr's raid to capture them. Nico was a young punk, Mr. Rock and Roll, and cocky as hell. We liked him immediately. _


	8. Chapter 8

8. As Nice As They Come

The gang was sitting at a table in the cafeteria eating lunch and listening to Nico tell a story.

"So I'm backin' out the door, right, and I got my hands full with all of Bianca's shit she just had to have, when I hear this voice that says: _freeze kid, hands in the air_. Well, I just stand there holdin' onto all her shit, when finally the voice says: _did you hear what I said boy?_ So, I say: yes sir, I sure did, but if I drop all this shit, my sister's gonna send me someplace far worse than your prison."

Everyone at the table busted out laughing.

"That was the third time we escaped capture," Nico said then looked down at his food tray. "This last time we tried, we weren't so lucky."

"I'm sorry about your sister, Nico," Jason said as he glanced over at Thalia.

_It turns out Nico and his sister had lived on their own and on the run from the satyrs for a while. He and Bianca were very close, and even though he did his best to hide it, you could tell her death was incredibly hard for him to deal with._

Nico walked down into the maintenance shop where Percy was sitting at a workbench adjusting pipe fittings.

"Hey, Percy," Nico said walking up to him.

"What are you doing down here, Nico?"

"I was thinking…maybe I could come work in maintenance if you would train me to do this kinda stuff," Nico said.

Percy looked up at Nico, "You really want to work down here?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then," Percy nodded. "You can be my trainee."

"Thanks, Percy."

"You bet."

_So Percy took Nico under his wing, started walking him through the basics. Nico took to it pretty well, too. The kid found skills he never knew he had. After about a year, Nico was almost as handy as Percy, though neither of them had the abilities of Leo…no surprise there. Percy really liked Nico. It gave him a thrill to help the kid crawl off the new fish shit heap, and as a bonus, the Hunters stayed away from Nico because he and Percy were so close, but those weren't the only reasons. Prison time is slow time, so you do what you can to keep going. Some inmates collect stamps, others build matchstick houses, Percy improved the prison. Now he needed a new project; Nico was it. It was the same reason he spent years writing those letters to Olympus, the same reason he helped with the library project. In prison, a person will do most anything to keep their mind occupied._

Nico walked into the nearly empty library and sat down at the desk where Annabeth was reading. She looked up from her book and across the desk where Nico sat. He smiled and offered her the Coke he was drinking. She returned the smile as she took the can from Nico and then took a drink.

"Good, huh?" Nico nodded.

"How much did that cost you?" Annabeth asked handing the Coke back to Nico.

"It was a freebie."

"A freebie, huh?"

"Percy gave it to me," Nico said. "He had it in his stash."

"You know, he's proud of you, kid. You've really surprised him," Annabeth smiled.

"You think so?" Nico asked.

Annabeth nodded, "We've been friends a long time, so I know him as well as anybody."

"Nice guy, ain't he?"

"As nice as they come," Annabeth smiled.

"Who's his godly parent, anyway? I've heard rumors its one of the Big Three," Nico said.

"Poseidon," Annabeth nodded.

Nico shook his head, "The hell you say."

"You wouldn't think it once you get to know him. He's a lot different than you, Thalia, and Jason."

Nico nodded, "Yeah…he is."

Nico and Percy were in the maintenance shop working on a washing machine when they heard a guard's voice at the doorway, "Jackson."

Percy and Nico looked up to see the satyr standing in the open doorway.

"Yes, sir," Percy said.

"I need to talk to you…in private," the satyr said motioning for Percy to come out into the hallway.

Percy stood up from the workbench, and Nico grabbed his arm in concern.

"It's okay, Nico. It's just Hedge. We're cool," Percy assured him.

Percy walked out into the hallway with Hedge, and Nico watched them intently from inside the maintenance shop.

"Jackson…Percy," Hedge said in a quiet voice. "I've got some bad news."

Percy began to worry, "What? What is it?"

"There was some confusion between some of our new capture recruits. The young satyrs didn't know you were already here, and they went looking for you. They went to your mother's apartment, and when they couldn't find you there, they…they…"

"What did they do?" Percy asked with concern.

Hedge hesitated.

"Tell me!"

"I'm so sorry, Percy," the satyr shook his head. "They killed your mother."

"No, no," Percy shook his head with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Percy."

Percy put his hands on his head as tears began to roll down his cheeks, "No, there's gotta be some mistake. My mother can't be dead. You're lying!"

"I wish I were."

"How could they not know I was already here?" Percy asked barely able to breathe. "I've been here for more than four years."

"They were new and out to impress their superiors. She was an unfortunate casualty in the…"

"Unfortunate casualty!" Percy interrupted. "Unfortunate casualty! She was my mother, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey! Remember who you're talking to," Hedge warned.

"Oh, I know who I'm talking to," Percy said furiously. "You're just like the rest of them. All you satyrs do is beat and kill."

"Calm down…" Hedge started but was interrupted by Percy's fist hitting his jaw.

In a violent, grieving rage, Percy pounded on Hedge several more times until Hedge was able to draw his baton and return the hits to Percy.

Nico watched in horror as the satyr began to hit Percy, and the memory of Bianca being killed by a satyr flashed in his head. Without thinking, Nico picked a large pipe wrench up off the table and walked out into the hallway where Percy was on his knees taking a beating from the guard. Nico walked up behind the satyr and swung the pipe wrench hitting him in the back of the head. The sound of his cracking skull echoed down the hallway. Hedge dropped to his knees then fell face first into Percy. Percy pushed the satyr off of him then got to his feet. He looked over at Nico who was holding the pipe wrench in his trembling hands. Nico looked down at the wrench then dropped it onto the floor.

"What…what the hell did I do?" Nico croaked.

"Get out of here, Nico," Percy ordered.

"But I…I killed…"

"You didn't do anything. You were never here. Get out of here. I'll take care of this."

"Percy, I can't let you…"

"Go! Go get yourself an alibi, now!" Percy yelled, and Nico took off running down the hallway.

Percy looked down at the dead guard lying on the floor. Percy stepped away and leaned his back against the wall. He buried his face in his hands and slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor where he broke down mourning the unexpected death of his mother.

Percy stood in Chiron's office staring blankly at the wall. His face and arms were covered in whelps and bruises from the beating he'd taken from Hedge. Percy's eyes were puffy and bloodshot from crying, and they seemed to be empty of any thought or emotion.

"Do you want to explain what happened down there?" Chiron asked sternly.

Percy slowly turned to Chiron and said, "He told me my mother was murdered."

"Is that why you killed him?"

"I was protecting myself," Percy said. "He was attacking me."

"I find it pretty amazing that you hit him from behind while he was attacking you."

"That's what happened."

"You know what I think happened?" Chiron asked rhetorically. "I think your friend, that di Angelo kid, hit him from behind, and you're covering for him."

"No, sir," Percy said in that same monotone voice he'd used during this entire meeting. "Nico wasn't even down there."

"So you say, but trust me, Jackson, I will find out the truth one way or another, and if I find out you're lying to me…you will regret it," Chiron warned.

"I killed him," Percy insisted.

"Fine," Chiron said then turned to Grover who was standing by the door. "Put him in solitary for a month."

The gang was sitting on the bleachers in the prison yard after they heard about Percy.

"A month in the hole," Jason shook his head. "That's the longest damn stretch I ever heard of."

"It's all my fault," Nico sighed.

"Oh, that's bullshit. You saved his life; he's just returning the favor," Annabeth said.

Thalia shook her head, "I still can't believe that about his mom."

Annabeth closed her eyes for a few seconds taking in a deep breath, "I wish there was someway I could help him, something I could do, but a loss like that…"

"There's nothing you can do," Nico sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

9. Breaking Point

Percy's time in the hole was nearing an end when a guard approached Nico as he was mopping the hallway floor.

"The warden wants a word with you," the satyr said to Nico.

Nico put his mop in the bucket and followed the satyr out into the prison yard. It was dark outside; it was only about an hour until lights out. The only light in the yard was the one that shined down from the watchtower.

"He wants to talk out here?" Nico asked.

"That's what he said," the guard told him then walked back into the prison.

"Nico," Chiron said as he emerged from the shadows.

"Warden," Nico nodded.

"Nico, I'm going to ask you to keep this conversation just between us, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Nico agreed.

"We've got a situation here," Chiron began. "I think you can appreciate that. This whole thing came along and really surprised me; it's kept me up nights. Percy…I didn't think he had it in him to kill a guard, but he did. I need your help, son. You know him pretty well. I need to know if he said anything to you about killing Hedge. I need to know if it was premeditated or self defense, and I need to know if anyone else was involved."

"I don't know, sir," Nico said nervously.

"Are you sure about that? Because if I don't hear any different, I'm going to assume it was murder, and Percy will be put to death."

"No," Nico gasped. "You can't do that."

"Is there something you need to tell me, Nico?"

"I…I killed Hedge, not Percy," Nico admitted.

A smile crept across Chiron's face, "That's what I thought."

"You knew?" Nico asked.

"I had my suspicions," Chiron said then looked up toward the watchtower and nodded.

Three gunshots rang out from the watchtower, and Nico dropped to the ground with three bullet holes in his back.

Chiron looked down at Nico's body lying in a pool of blood and shook his head, "Nobody lies to me."

The solid steel door to the solitary cell slid open, and Percy curled up in the corner of the small cell shielding his eyes from the blinding light.

Chiron stepped up to the doorway, "I'm sure by now you've heard. This all could've been avoided if you would've been honest with me."

"You didn't have to kill him," Percy snapped.

"I told you that you would regret it if I found out you were lying to me, and if you ever lie to me again, you will do the hardest time there is. I'll pull you out of that one bunk Hilton and cast you down into Tartarus. And the improvements to the prison…gone. Your girlfriend's library…gone. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Percy didn't answer.

"I'll give you another month to think about it," Chiron said then slammed the steel door shut leaving Percy in the hole for another month.

The morning Percy was released from his two month stay in the hole, Annabeth found him in the prison yard sitting on the ground leaning his back against a stone wall. She approached him slowly then leaned against the wall beside him.

It was silent between them for a moment, then Percy finally said, "My mom used to say I was a hard kid to know, I kept too much bottled up inside, I was like a closed book. She complained about it all the time. She was a really good mom, and I loved her so much. Gods, I miss her… I killed her, Annabeth. She died because of me, because of my blood."

Annabeth slid down the stone wall and sat on the ground next to Percy, "Your blood doesn't make you a murderer. You can feel bad about it if you want, but you _didn't_ kill her."

Percy shook his head, "No, a satyr did, a satyr that was looking for me, and I wasn't there to protect her. Bad luck, I guess."

"Yeah," Annabeth sighed.

"It floats around. It's gotta land on somebody. It was my turn that's all."

It was quiet between them again, then Percy broke the silence, "Do you think you'll ever get out of here, Annabeth?"

"Maybe," Annabeth said. "One of these days when I'm old and gray and have a few marbles rolling around upstairs, they'll send me to a nursing home or something."

"Tell you where I'd go if I ever got out…Mexico," Percy said dreamily. "I'd spend the rest of my days staring out across the Pacific Ocean. You know what the Mexican's say about the Pacific? They say it has no memory. That's where I want to go, a warm place with no memory. I'd sit in a beach chair on the sand and listen to the crashing waves and smell the salty spray with a cold _cerveza_ in my hand."

Annabeth smiled at the thought, "Mexico."

"You know, in a place like that I could use a person who knows how to get things."

"I don't know if I could make it on the outside, Percy," Annabeth admitted. "I mean, I've been in here over half my life."

"You underestimate yourself," Percy told her.

"I don't think so," she sighed. "In here, I'm the person who can get things, sure, but outside all you need is the internet. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to begin. The Pacific Ocean…shit, about scare me to death, something that big."

Percy shook his head, "Not me. I didn't kill that guard, I didn't kill Nico, and I didn't kill my mother. Whatever mistakes I've made, I've paid for them and then some. That beach chair, that cold beer…I don't think that's too much to ask."

"I don't think you should be doing this to yourself, Percy. It's just shitty pipe dreams. I mean, Mexico's way the hell down there, and you're in here, and that's the way it is."

Percy took ragged breath, "Yeah, that's the way it is. It's down there, and I'm in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice really: get busy living or get busy dying."

Percy stood up and began to walk away from Annabeth.

Annabeth stood up and called after him, "Percy."

Percy stopped and turned around, "Annabeth, will you do me a favor?"

Annabeth walked up to him and said, "Sure, Percy, anything."

"Come to hallway five in section E in the basement. Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, I've been down there," she nodded.

"Meet me there at four thirty this afternoon, and bring all the money you have."

"Why, Percy?" she asked with confusion.

"Annabeth, do you trust me?"

"Completely," Annabeth nodded.

"Then meet me there at four thirty to find out," Percy said then turned and walked away from Annabeth.

Annabeth sat in the cafeteria eating lunch with Thalia, Jason, Travis, and Leo.

"I'm telling you, the guy is talking funny. I'm really worried about him," Annabeth told them about Percy.

"We ought to keep an eye on him," Leo suggested.

"That's fine during the day, but at night he's got that cell all to himself," Travis said.

"Oh, lords," Thalia said with worry in her voice.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"Percy came down to the kitchen this morning," Thalia said. "He asked for a plastic trash bag."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "A plastic trash bag?"

"And you gave it to him?" Travis asked.

"Sure, I did. Why wouldn't I?" Thalia asked.

Jason shook his head, "Gods, Thalia."

Thalia shrugged her shoulders, "How the hell was I supposed to know?"

"Remember Luke?"

"No," Leo interrupted. "Percy would never do that, never."

"I don't know," Annabeth shook her head. "Everyone has their breaking point."


	10. Chapter 10

10. Hope

_I've spent some long hours in the prison yard just waiting for the end of the day. When you wait around with nothing but your thoughts, time can draw out like a blade. That was the longest day of my life._

About ten minutes before Annabeth was supposed to meet Percy in the basement, she snuck into Chiron's office. She walked around behind his desk and knelt down in front of the safe.

As she entered the code to unlock the safe, she muttered to herself, "Damnit, Percy, I hope you know what you're doing because I sure as hell don't."

Annabeth opened the safe and began pulling out stacks of one hundred dollar bills and stuffing them into her jumpsuit. Once she had all she could carry, she closed the safe and headed toward the basement.

Annabeth saw Percy opening an access panel on a large pipe that ran horizontally through the hallway. She was relieved to see him alive. She half expected to find that he had killed himself.

Annabeth ran toward him, "Percy."

"You made it," he said.

"What's going on, Percy?"

"We're getting out of here," he smiled.

"What?"

"Did you get some cash?" Percy asked.

"I broke into Chiron's safe," she said as she began to pull the money out of her jumpsuit.

"Gods, Annabeth, that was risky."

"Tell me about it."

"Here," Percy said handing her a plastic trash bag. "Put it in the bag."

"How are we getting out?" she asked as she put the money into the bag.

"Right here," he said as he patted his hand on the pipe. "This is a drainage pipe. The water will push us out."

"Water?" Annabeth asked with concern as she tied the trash bag shut.

"It's okay. I'll breathe for you," he said as he climbed into the empty pipe through the access opening. "Come on, get in."

Annabeth handed the bag to Percy and climbed into the pipe with him. It was a tight squeeze so Annabeth had to lie on top of him.

"How are we gonna do this?" Annabeth asked.

"You're gonna have to hold your breath for the first thirty or forty seconds until we get past the mystical barrier, then I can breathe for you. Normally, I would just create an air bubble, but the water will be moving so swiftly that it would just pop."

"But how are you going to breathe for me?" she asked.

"Like this," Percy said as leaned his head forward and touched his lips to hers.

He pulled his lips away and asked, "Understand?"

"I get it," Annabeth nodded. "Percy, is this gonna work?"

"If it doesn't, I want you to know something," Percy stared into her eyes. "You're my best friend, the best friend I've ever had."

Annabeth smiled, "You're the best friend I've ever had, too."

The pipe began to vibrate, and the sound of rushing water was closing in on them.

"Right on time," Percy smiled. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Annabeth said.

Percy closed the access hatch, and they were lying in complete darkness waiting on the rushing water.

The water had almost reached them when Percy's hands grasped Annabeth's cheeks, "Kiss me, Annabeth."

She took a deep breath and touched her lips to his just as the water overcame them. They were completely submerged as the water swiftly carried them through the pipe. Percy held onto Annabeth tightly so she wouldn't be separated from him. Annabeth had her eyes closed tight and concentrated on keeping her lips locked with Percy's in the strong current. After about thirty seconds, Annabeth felt Percy's lips separate slightly as he blew fresh oxygen into her mouth, and she pulled the air into her lungs.

_Percy breathed for me as the water rushed around us. Our lips were locked the entire five hundred yard length of the pipe. Five hundred yards, that's the length of five football fields…just shy of half a mile._

Percy and Annabeth shot out of the end of the pipe and splashed into a gray water canal half a mile away from the prison. They both went under then quickly popped up. They stood in the waist deep water just looking at each other in shock.

"Did that really just happen? Did we really just…" Annabeth gasped.

"We did," Percy smiled.

They began laughing in celebration as they waded toward each other in a mad rush then embraced. Percy spun Annabeth around in the water as they laughed and smiled. Once the shock wore off and reality set in, they waded out of the canal, and Percy began to take off his orange prison jumpsuit. He stripped down to his tank top and boxers.

He tossed Annabeth the plastic bag and said, "Strip. There's a tank and boxers in the bag."

_Five years after Percy was captured, and ten years after I was, Percy and I escaped from Prison Half-Blood. All they found of us was two muddy prison jumpsuits. _

_Percy loved the water. I imagine it was due to being the son of the sea god. As I said before, in prison, a person will do most anything to keep their mind occupied, and as it turns out, Percy had used the blue food coloring to track how the water flowed through the pipes in the prison. He would dye the water in a main line to see where it went. Once he found the drainage pipe, he'd found his way out. I guess after his mother and Nico were killed, Percy decided he'd been there just about long enough. And out of a kindness I haven't seen in years or maybe ever, he decided to take me with him._

"What now?" Annabeth asked once she had changed clothes.

"We get the hell out of here."

Percy grabbed the bag of cash and Annabeth's hand. They took off running away from Prison Half-Blood and never looked back.

_That evening, about the time the guards would've been doing roll call before lights out, Percy and I had already bought new clothes and bus tickets, and we were riding a Greyhound southwest toward Mexico. All told, we blew town with over two hundred and twenty thousand dollars of warden Chiron's money, severance pay for our combined fifteen years. Me and Percy, two demigods who had part of our lives stolen away. Me and Percy, headed for the Pacific. I wish we could've taken the rest of the gang with us. I have to remind myself that we were so very lucky to get out ourselves, but I will miss my friends. I promised Percy I would meet him in that hallway, and I'm so glad I kept that promise. It's like Percy said, get busy living or get busy dying, and that's damn right. For the second time in my life, I'm leaving the place I called home, but this time, it's different. This time, I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free person can feel, a free person at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope Percy and I make it to Mexico. I hope we get to sit on the beach together. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope..._

**I want to thank all of the readers and reviewers for taking the time to read Prison Half-Blood and for all of the wonderful reviews. I never expected this fic to get the response that it did. I basically wrote it to combat writer's block. I never imagined I could make an adaptation that was such a stretch work, and I never imagined it turning out the way it did. Again, thanks for reading and be sure to check out my other fics.**

**-dmac**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HoO, or The Shawshank Redemption.**


End file.
